Rod or wire structure fabricating machine



Dec. 18, 1934,. o. HAUCK ROD OR WIRE STRUCTURE FABRICATING MACHINE I Filed Feb. 9,, 19153 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 1710970507: OTTO HFfl/CK gi /Or ya,

Dec, 18, 1934. v Q, HAUCK 1,984,742

ROD OR WIRE STRUCTURE FABRICATING MACHINE Filed Feb. 9, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor: OTTO H/QUCK;

Mw v Dec. 18, 1934. O, HAUCK 1,984,742

ROD OR WIRE STRUCTURE FABRICATING MACHINE Filed Feb. 9, 1933 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 [Wei e502": OTTO HqC/CK /QQW M DQC. 18, v Q HAUCK v ROD OR WIRE STRUCTURE FABRICATING MACHINE Filed Feb. 9, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 0770 hqucx Dec. 18, 1934 I o. HA UCK 1,984,742

ROD OR WIRE STRUCTURE FABRICATING MACHINE Filed Feb. 9, 1953 a Sheets-Sheet 5 OTTg fif/ i Dec, 18, 1934. o. HAUCK I ROD OR WIR E STRUCTURE FABRICATING MACHINE Filed Feb. 9, 1933 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 lmeidoi": 07 0 //4ucr/ Patented Dec. 18, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Otto Hauck, Donora, Pa., assignor to The American Steel and Wire Company of New Jersey, a corporation of New Jersey Application February 9, 1933, Serial No. 655,989

5 Claims.

rod or wire fabric structures and particularly heavy fabricated mats of the general character used for reenforcements in road building and for other purposes.

The objects include the provision of means for producing structures of the above character at a greater speed than was ordinarily done before, an improved means for feeding wires or rods longitudinally and laterally to welding dies, an improved means for handling the structures produced by the interfastening of the wires or rods, and various other improvements of 'a more specific nature which may be inferred from the following disclosure of an exemplary form of the invention.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical cross-section of a ma chine illustrating the invention.

Figure 2 is a horizontal cross-section from the line 11-11 in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical cross-section from the line III-III in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of details in Figure 1. v

Figure 5 is an enlarged details in Figure l.

Figures 6 and '7 are enlarged views showing details in Figure 4 and illustrating their operation.

Figure 8 is a cross-section from the line villi- VIII in Figure l.

' Upright members 1 are interconnected by horizontal elongated members 2. and 3 to form a frame. These upright members reciprocatively mount a cross-head 4 which carries a plurality of adjustably spaced die-holders 5. These holders and their method of mounting may follow conventional practice. They include depending welding dies 6.

A horizontal elongated support '1 is also fixed between the upright members 1 adjacent the lowermost reciprocation limits of the dies 6. This support mounts adjustably spaced dies 8 which oppose the reciprocative dies 6. It is by means view showing further of these fixed and reciprocative dies that the wires or rodsare interfastened to form the desired structures. Hereafter, the term wires will be used as meaning rods or wires.

A plurality of adjustably spaced transformers 9 is. mounted by the horizontal member 3 below the support? and maybe connected to the dies in any desired manner. This connection. may be established in eachinstance to the reciprocative dies through laminated loop conductors 10 to provide the requisite flexibility.

This invention relates to the manufacture of The reciprocative dies operate in a vertical direction, and it is therefore possible to feed the heavier strand wires or rods thereto in a horizontal direction and to carry the resulting wire structure therefrom horizontally. This is an important feature when-the weights and the relative inflexibility of the work being handled are considered.

To accomplish the horizontal wire feed the support '7 mounts a plurality of parallel, adjustably spaced tubular guides 11 which extend away therefrom. Their remote ends may be held by portable supports 12 whose top cross-bars 13 may be provided withrecesses 14 which carry these guides. Suitable clamps 15 may be provided to hold the guides securely in these recesses.

These horizontal guides may be constructed and mounted otherwise than illustrated, but it should be kept in mind that it is desirable that they may be easily demounted when the machine is not in operation and that their relative spacing should be adjustable so their ends may register with the adjustably spaced fixed and reciprocative dies in each instance. It is also desirable that they be constructed for easy and speedy in sertion of the wires. Their entrance ends should be provided with suitable means so that the ends of all the wires or rods may be initially alined. This might simply consist of a bar 16 extending along the ends of these guides so that the wires ends may be dropped and brought back to contact therewith when in place.

The means for feeding the stay wires between the dies for fastening to these longitudinally fed wires will now be described. Ordinarily it is desirable that they be fed laterally, although it may sometimes be desirable to feed them at other than right angles to the strand wires.

This means may comprise a rack which declines to the dies. Preferably this rack comprises two or more spaced runways each consisting of upper sections 1'7 and lower sections 17*. Stops 18 are interposed in these runways, and consequently in the rack proper, so that the gravitational rolling of the wires is restrained. Preferably guides 19 are arranged over the wires to hold them in a single layer.

A spring frame 20 is constructed beneath each of the declining runways and over the path of the finished structure as it leaves the dies. This spring frame is provided with an upwardly extending lifter 21 which registers with the wire proximate the stop 18 and, if desired, a depending adjustable stop 20 which engages the structure coming from the dies when the frame is flexed downwardly the lifter 21 drops below the level of the runway so that the next succeeding wire to one lifted over the stop rolls into contact with the latter. A set of these various parts is associated with each of the declining runways;

A rotative shaft 22 extends the width of the machine and is arranged between the sections 17 and 1'7 of the runways. This shaft carries rotary feeders 23 which register with each of the declin ing runways and have depressions 24 which lift the wires raised over the stops 18 by the lifters 21 and deposit them on the sections 17 of the runways. The shaft 22 carries cam members 25 which contact the spring frames 20 and flex them to cause operation of the lifters 21.

By lifting the wires singly over the stops in the runways an absolutely-individual or single feed results, whose timing is more positively assured by the rotation of the turret member 23 which carries the wires to the sections 17*.

it will be seen that this feed just described essentially consists of a declined rack provided with an interposed stop and that lifting means are provided for singly lifting wires over this stop. Further, the wires thus singly fed have their descent over the rack positively timed by suitable means so that they run from the rack end between the dies at a positively timed moment.

Stops 26' are arranged on the opposite side of the dies from the sections 17 of the declining runways and are provided with fingers 2? which are spring-urged to a claspingposition. These fingers are constructed so that they may receive a wire dropping from the ends of the lowermost sections of the declining runways and hold it in position. Reciprocative motion of the top dies easily forces the wire to the top of the longitudinally fed wires because of these fingers flexible mounting.

The cross-head 4 is powered by cams 28 fixed on a shaft 29 which extends the width of the machine and is journaled in the upright members 1. Preferably the weight of the various reciprocative parts is counterbalanced so that the machine operates more easily. This may be done by connection to a rocking arm 30 whose end carries a counterbalance 31.

The shaft 29 may be powered by a motor 32 through a speed reduction unit 33 and gears 34, 35 and 36. A clutch 37 may be provided which is operated through a lever 38. If desired this lever 38 may be connected to a bar 39 which extends the widthof the machine so that its operation may be controlled from any point.

The shaft 22 is geared to the shaft 29 by a chain and sprocket drive 37 This is timed so the delivery of the stay wires to the dies is effected when the latter are in inoperative or separated positions.

The structures resulting from the interfastening of the various wires leaves the dies by way of a horizontal table 38. As previously stated, the declining rack and its asociated wire feeding apparatus are suitably mounted above this table to permit the passage of the structures.

Horizontal bars 39 are. reciprocatively mounted beneath the horizontal wire guides 11 and a portion of the table 38. Preferably the bearings of these bars are arranged at points remote from the dies 6 and 8 so as not to be affected by falling metallic particles. These bars are below the level of the dies and carry upstanding fingers 40. The lower portions of these fingers butt stops 41 WhlCn hold them upright when the reciprocative bars are 1,984,742; downwardly. -When this spring frame is forced moved towards the table. When the bars are moved in the opposite direction these fingers may swing downwardly. Springs 42 normally urge them to their upstanding positions.

The bars 39 are reciprocated through leverage gearings driven by the shaft 29. The reciprocative motion is imparted by eccentrics 43 secured to this shaft. Preferably these eccentrics are mounted for radial adjustment with respect to the shafts. This maybe accomplished by providing them with slots 44- through which bolts 45 pass to secure the eccentrics to plates 46, which latter are fixed directly to the driving shaft.

The leverage gearings may consist of levers 4'7 mounted on a shaft 48 which extends the width of the machine. These levers are connected to the bars 39 by straight line motion linkages 47 and are driven by connecting arms 49 mounted on the eccentrics 4-3.

By proper timing the reciprocative bars 39 may be moved forwardly towards the table to progressively move the structures forward. as they are fabricated. In case it is not desired to shift the structures at any time levers 50 may be mounted on a common shaft 51 so their ends swing into engagement with the lower ends of the fingers to and throw the latter to disengaging positions upon the forward reciprocation of the bars 39.

A sheet of insulation 52 is preferably arranged beneath the laminated loops 10 to prevent them contacting the metallic parts of the machine and effecting a short circuit of the feeding currents. This insulation preferably runs the full width of the machine so that as the dies and their associated apparatus, which naturally include these loops, are adjusted, it will always be effective.

Although I have shown and described a specific embodiment of my invention in accordance with the patent statutes, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited exactly thereto, except as defined in the following claims.

liclaim:

l. The combination of fastening means, means for feeding wires longitudinally to said fastening means, means for feeding wires to said fastening means at an angle to those fed from said first named feeding means, one or more reciprocative bars arranged adjacent the structure resulting from interfastening wires fed from said feeding means, means moved by said bar or bars for engaging and moving said structure, a rotative shaft and means including one or more eccentrics connected 'to said shaft for connecting the latter to said one or more reciprocative bars.

2. The combination of fastening means, means for feeding wires longitudinally to said fastening means, means for feeding wires to said fastening means at an angle to those fed by said first named feeding means, means for horizontally supporting the structure resulting from interfastening the wires fed from said feeding means, bars arranged to reciprocate towards said supporting means and adjacent said structure, fingers constructed and arranged on said bars to engage said structure when moving towards said carrying means, means for engaging said fingers to force the same to structure disengaging positions when said bars are reciprocated towards said carrying means and means for reciprocating said bars.

3. The combination of fixed and reciprocative welding dies, a plurality of parallel wire guides arranged to individually register with said weld- 1,ss4,74a

ing dies, means for feeding wires laterally to said welding dies, a horizontal table arranged adjacent said dies opposite said guides, bars arranged adjacently parallel said guides to reciprocate towards said table, fingers pivotally carried by said bars to swing into engagement with the structure resulting from welding together the wires from said guides and said feeding means when moved towards said table, means for selectively engaging saidfingers when moved towards said table to swing them from their engaging positions, a rotative shaft, a radially adjustable eccentric on said shaft and a linkage system constructed and arranged to interconnect said eccentric-and said reciprocative bars.

4. The combination of fasteningmeans, means forfeeding wires longitudinally to said fastening means, a rack constructed to laterally carry wires and declining to said fastening means, stopping means interposed between the ends of said rack,

means for singly lifting wires over said stopping means, spring elements normally urging said lifting means to operate, means for forcing said lifting means to inoperative positions and means for timing the descent of wires over said rack after being lifted over said stop.

- 5. The combination of a plurality of adjustably spaced fastening means, a plurality of tubular guides, means for horizontally positioning said guides in alinement with said fastening means, and a bar arranged to extend along the entrance ends of said guides, said bar being positioned so that wires fed through said guides may be brought back to contact therewith to effect lateral alinement of their ends projecting through the exit ends of said guides.

0'1'1'0 HAUCK. 

